Love
it or loathe it, everyone tends to have an opinion about Chamonix. Many
argue that it's the capital of Alpine sport, with its position next to
Mont Blanc, awe-inspiring scenery, a beautiful town, the Vallée
Blanche, off-piste terrain to test the very best and the Grands Montets
in Argentière. They'll tell you the nightlife rocks, there are plenty
of good restaurants, things to do all year-round and it's just over an
hour from Geneva airport

Love
it or loathe it, everyone tends to have an opinion about Chamonix. Many
argue that it's the capital of Alpine sport, with its position next to
Mont Blanc, awe-inspiring scenery, a beautiful town, the Vallée
Blanche, off-piste terrain to test the very best and the Grands Montets
in Argentière. They'll tell you the nightlife rocks, there are plenty
of good restaurants, things to do all year-round and it's just over an
hour from Geneva airport.

Sadly, there are drawbacks. Chamonix's skiing does favour more advanced
skiers. Beginners might feel left out. It is also disjointed, made up of
a series of smaller bus-linked resorts; getting about can be a right
pain if you're without a car. It is very popular, so traffic can be
terrible, while lift queues still vex the most relaxed (notably the top
half of the Grands Montets cable car). It is also expensive, with
shopping nearly toppling skiing as the favourite pastime, plus a lot of
the skiing requires a guide (most of whom are excellent).

Even so, Chamonix is one of the great resorts, one that attracts the
best skiers - people who really want to challenge themselves. It retains
a special aura - one that only a few resorts in the world manage to
create. If you want flattering motorway pistes by the bucketload, we
suggest you head elsewhere. If you want the thrill of pushing yourself
to the limits, go to Chamonix - hang out with the pros and the bums, see
some of the best skiing and boarding around and, best of all, boast to
your friends about skiing on 'real mountains'…